Colorado

Pickleball is exploding in popularity across Colorado

By Emilie RuschThe Denver Post

Posted:
02/18/2014 12:01:00 AM MST

Volunteer pickleball instructor Steve Cole, right, works with players at a pickleball skills-and-drills session at the Apex Center. Pickleball combines elements of tennis, pingpong and badminton, and is played on a surface half the size of a tennis court. (Photos by Andy Cross, The Denver Post)

ARVADA — Snow was falling outside — again — but the gym inside the Apex Center was warm and full of laughter and movement, the "pop" of pickleball loud against paddles.

It was enough to draw stares from the walkers above, circling round and round on the recreation center's elevated track.

If he could have had his way, Ken Marquardt would have invited everyone down for a rally or two.

Better known in recreation circles by his nickname, "Pickleball Ken," Marquardt has made it his mission to spread the gospel of pickleball, an eclectic mash-up of badminton, pingpong and tennis, throughout the metro area.

"I've had so many people say, 'I can't, because ...,' " added the 74-year-old. "I can overcome any objection. I have two total shoulder replacements and a knee replacement. I can't hit an overhead serve for tennis anymore, but I can hit underhand in pickleball."

Pickleball is exploding in popularity in Colorado and across the country, in part because of the grassroots effort of people like Marquardt, an official ambassador of the USA Pickleball Association.

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When Marquardt was introduced to the sport three and a half years ago, the only place to play in the Denver metro area was Whitlock Recreation Center in Lakewood.

The USA Pickleball Association, the national governing body, estimates that more than 150,000 people are playing nationwide. The sport, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2015, was dreamed up on an old backyard badminton court on Bainbridge Island, Wash.

An average of 41 new venues are opening every month, said Ruth Rosenquist, a spokeswoman for the organization.

Chris Beal, a retired physical education teacher and USAPA ambassador in Lakewood, said the sport holds appeal from a fitness perspective and a social one.

In terms of exercise, pickleball is not always a strenuous workout, especially if you're playing doubles. But Beal said it works areas that few other sports do — agility, balance and reaction time — without excessive wear-and-tear.

"The balance issue is really good for the older population," Beal said. "As we age, balance is one of the first things that leaves us."

For tennis or racquetball lovers who can no longer play due to physical limitations, pickleball can be a great option, too, Beal said.

"It's pretty easy on your body," she said. "Tennis players who have worn out their rotator cuffs and knees, you can come onto a pickleball court, one, because it's smaller and two, because you never have to do an overhead. You can let it bounce." You don't have to be an expert, either, to get the benefits of the game and have a lot of fun, she said.

She had been introduced to the game years ago while teaching physical education at Columbine High School. Looking for a new activity, she ordered pickleball paddles from a catalogue to cap a unit on badminton.

Years later, a friend who had just returned from the Huntsman Senior Games in Utah and saw pickleball played competitively urged Beal to try it herself.

Marquardt, a serious racquetball competitor at one time, learned pickleball from Beal in 2010. Since then, he's persuaded "probably 15" facilities across the metro area to provide court time for the sport, he said.

At the Apex Center in Arvada, Marquardt has attracted a growing community of players — people with physical limitations due to age, chronic illness or disability, as well as those just looking for a fun, social way to exercise.

Cheryl Mee, 67, of Arvada was introduced to pickleball in November. Now, the avid golfer plays five times a week.

"They say 'pickleball' and you go, 'huh'? Don't be turned off by the name," she said. "I love the exercise. I love the hand-eye coordination. I love the people, too."

She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis more than 20 years ago. "I didn't even know if I would be able to do it," Mee said. "Now I just want to get better. I'm totally addicted."

Equipment: A paddle and a ball. The specialty paddles — flat-sided and made of wood, composite or graphite — are like overgrown ping-pong paddles and run between $40 and $100. Pickleballs are similar to Wiffle balls, made of perforated plastic and between 2¾ inches and 3 inches in diameter. Many rec centers provide equipment for players.

Court: Pickleball is played on a badminton court — 20 feet by 44 feet — with the net lowered to 34 inches at the center, 36 inches at the posts. Courts can be indoors or outdoors.

Basic rules: Singles or doubles can play pickleball. To start a point, a player serves the ball — underhand and below the waist — diagonally cross court, like in tennis. The first two shots — the return of serve and the following shot — must be played off the bounce. After that, balls can be hit off the first bounce or out of the air, as volleys. Play continues until a player fails to return the ball inbounds. Points are scored only when serving, like in ping pong. Games are played to 11 points; you must win by two.

Go play: Many rec centers in the Denver area offer drop-in pickleball. To find a location, go to the USA Pickleball Association's website, usapa.org/places-to-play-pickleball/. Ken Marquardt also curates a local list at pickleballken.org. Call the individual center to confirm the day and time.

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